A. F. “Fred” Spilhaus Jr. Credit: AGU

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) has reported that former executive director A. F. “Fred” Spilhaus Jr. died on April 30 at the age of 79. During his leadership as executive director from 1970 to 2009, his major accomplishments included huge expansions of AGU membership, staff and the organization’s income. He also introduced new scientific journals, conferences and was editor in chief of AGU’s “Earth & Space Science News” website, Eos.

Spilhaus held a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in oceanography. He began working at AGU under its original executive director, Waldo E. Smith, and Spilhaus received the Waldo E. Smith medal after his retirement.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is accepting donations in Spilhaus’s name.

Read the full Eos obituary at https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EO098123.